Religionists don’t process data like we do. Oh, I know what you’re thinking:
“Duh, Hump! Tell us something we don’t know,” or “Yeah, ‘cuz their religionists.” But it’s not that simple. In fact, it came to me as a revelation last week.
This will be the last time I mention the EE-BP rapture thing for as long as I can avoid it. Frankly I’m bored to death with it even though I have condemned myself to having to deal with it daily to some degree or another. But it has taught me a lot about how some Christians think (or don’t think) and lead me to the realization that their brains aren’t wired like ours.
I received many thousands of email from atheists and believers alike. But one constant question kept coming up from believers. So often does this query arise that I have a form letter in my draft file that requires me only to insert the respondent’s name and hit send. The question is this:
“You say you are an atheist. If that’s so, how can you charge for and offer a service for something you don’t even believe will happen? Does this mean you’ll give a refund if the rapture doesn’t happen?”
Now, whenever this question pops up on my screen I reflexively rub my eyes, scratch my neck and shake my head in complete befuddlement.. No doubt the inquiry makes perfect sense to the afflicted, albeit I can’t begin to comprehend how they get this confused.
It’s tantamount to asking:
“You’re betting horse A will lose; I’m betting he’ll win. If you don’t believe horse A will win why are you betting against him...and will you pay me if he loses?”
Say what???
It seems there is a short circuit in their analytical skills. Simple reasoning powers elude them. What is obvious to you and I, the thinking, becomes a brain teaser to these folks. Whether this defect is the cause of why they are drawn to religiosity, or whether religiosity causes this defect in them I can only guess.
What makes this particularly disconcerting is that this peculiar disability is likely running rampant among the religious right, people in position of responsibility; people who make laws, elect representatives, determine what is taught in their schools. It is the prevalence of this peculiar non-think that sheds new light on things that previously were a mystery to me. For instance:
“Duh, Hump! Tell us something we don’t know,” or “Yeah, ‘cuz their religionists.” But it’s not that simple. In fact, it came to me as a revelation last week.
This will be the last time I mention the EE-BP rapture thing for as long as I can avoid it. Frankly I’m bored to death with it even though I have condemned myself to having to deal with it daily to some degree or another. But it has taught me a lot about how some Christians think (or don’t think) and lead me to the realization that their brains aren’t wired like ours.
I received many thousands of email from atheists and believers alike. But one constant question kept coming up from believers. So often does this query arise that I have a form letter in my draft file that requires me only to insert the respondent’s name and hit send. The question is this:
“You say you are an atheist. If that’s so, how can you charge for and offer a service for something you don’t even believe will happen? Does this mean you’ll give a refund if the rapture doesn’t happen?”
Now, whenever this question pops up on my screen I reflexively rub my eyes, scratch my neck and shake my head in complete befuddlement.. No doubt the inquiry makes perfect sense to the afflicted, albeit I can’t begin to comprehend how they get this confused.
It’s tantamount to asking:
“You’re betting horse A will lose; I’m betting he’ll win. If you don’t believe horse A will win why are you betting against him...and will you pay me if he loses?”
Say what???
It seems there is a short circuit in their analytical skills. Simple reasoning powers elude them. What is obvious to you and I, the thinking, becomes a brain teaser to these folks. Whether this defect is the cause of why they are drawn to religiosity, or whether religiosity causes this defect in them I can only guess.
What makes this particularly disconcerting is that this peculiar disability is likely running rampant among the religious right, people in position of responsibility; people who make laws, elect representatives, determine what is taught in their schools. It is the prevalence of this peculiar non-think that sheds new light on things that previously were a mystery to me. For instance:
· How can so many of the religious right even remotely perceive Sarah Palin to be qualified to run the planet’s most powerful nation?
· Why do some legislators think its fine if Jesus’ name is invoked during a pre-session prayer, but don't see the hypocrisy of their outrage at the mention of a pagan god or Allah ?
· How can grown men speculate on the shape of a banana and arrive at the conclusion that God designed it to fit man’s hand?
· How can the anti-Christian writings of Jefferson, Paine, Adams, Madison and other Founding Fathers be construed to imply this was meant to be a “Christian Nation”?
Well, I no longer have to ponder these and many other questions that were baffling to me. The answer is now clear. Their brains do not process reality or even the simplest concept as do thinking people’s brains. Reason is passed through the filter of religio-think; bathed in a plasma of confusion; treated with a does of reality disconnect; coated with doctrinal babble and finally extruded through the cells of an atrophied brain.
The end product is all too often gross stupidity.
the betting analogy might throw people off since you are not asking people to place bets. Your service is more of an insurance.
ReplyDeleteA clearer analogy would be this. If you purchase fire insurance and your house does not burn down, will you expect a refund? Does the insurance company have to "beleive" your house will burn down in order to provide you with fire insurance?
So long as you can demonstrate that you are prepared to take care of the pets in the event that the rapture does occur, it is up to the one buying the insurance to decide if it is worthwhile or not.
On a side note, I wonder in an insurance company would sell you hurricane insurance if you lived in Iowa? Considering that there is about as much chance of there being a hurricane in Iowa as the rapture occurring this might be an interesting question to ask.
A non..
ReplyDeleteYes, I've tried theinsurance explaination. But it's lost on them as well. I even use a volcano in their home town of Podunk, IO an example...that if they REALLY thought it was potential, sure, I'd insure them for it and at a very reasonable premium, even though I totally reject the potential
Actaully betting and insurance are virtually one in the same. The insurance company is betting you won't need to collect, and the buyer is betting he will some day.
Hi Hump,
ReplyDeleteI like your comment · "How can grown men speculate on the shape of a banana and arrive at the conclusion that God designed it to fit mans hand?"
How we come to acknowledge the banana may differ. The religionists ask "why" and the non-religionists ask "how".
Now this fundamental dichotomy is not only the quintessential indifferences between Atheist and Religionists but also between much of Eastern and Western thinking too. Albeit that is a another whole can of worms, but based on that premise, the only thing common between the two is that they both want to acknowledge the banana.
As for the final "why" or "how" does that really matter? I think both sides would say yes to their own answer, but in the end what really matters are both answers.
Ultimately their answers create paradigms of the world around us. These paradigms in return yeild beautiful facets that reflect the human mind and its connectedness to the universe around it.
Finally I have to agree with you. The banana statement is quite comical. But on the otherhand, the universe has many comical jokes.
-- 30amp
Why are so many people taken in by a book of obvious fairy tales and run their entire lifetimes based on its nonsense?
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the big questions for humanity.
In my previous post I meant to write "differences" instead of "indifferences".
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hump, I think if you were to ask Darrel Ray (search Youtube for the God Virus), he would likely refer you to said virus protecting the host from damaging information. The virus keeps the host ignorant of this information, otherwise the host will reject the virus and expel it. Hence, as atheists,... we win nya nya :)
ReplyDeleteDen!s...LOL..win win in deed.
ReplyDeleteDarrel and I happen to be friends, actual "Talkin' on the telephone" friends.
I found the God Virus genius...and said so on amazon.com ;)
Hump, it seems you have created your own hell on Earth through EEBP. While I'm truly sorry for your misery, I also deeply appreciate the irony :)
ReplyDeleteAs you said, the fact that these people hold political positions of power, introducing legislation and laws (that we all have to live by) based on their extremist views and beliefs is the scariest part. These aren't isolated sects of people like the Branch Davidians, even though they are of similar mindset. They infect our state houses, congress and the senate. Idiots elected by idiots....who won't rest until we are all idiots.
ReplyDeleteLonghorn..ironic, no? :)
ReplyDeleteGristle... when I see the adoration of Sarah Palin is see the effect of religious madness come to life.
"How can grown men speculate on the shape of a banana and arrive at the conclusion that God designed it to fit mans hand?"
ReplyDeleteTwo answers:
1) Contemplate the watermellon ... just does not fit the hand and those seeds.
2) Man shaped the banana. Read Michael Pollan's "The Botany of Desire" for three examples of man shaping plants.
Luther...
ReplyDeleteI am conviced that their god formed the watermelon so as to fit perfectly up Ray Comfort's and Kirk Cameron's asses.
The banana was engineered? I have to learn more about this. Thanks.
Hump thinking is hard work. It is often uncomfortable, and sometimes leads you to unexpected directions. The famous philosopher, writer, logician and mathematician Bertrand Russell once famously remarked, "Many people would rather die than to think; in fact most do." The continued proliferation of religion, superstition, pseudoscience and conspiratorial thinking in this nation and in much of the world confirms the prescience of Russell.
ReplyDeleteNewEnglandBob wrote:
ReplyDelete"Why are so many people taken in by a book of obvious fairy tales and run their entire lifetimes based on its nonsense?
That is one of the big questions for humanity."
Bob I have similarly pondered this question. After exploring the many theories that have been proffered to account for mankind's irrational belief in religions, I find the argument of the philosophers Lucretius and Epicurus most compelling. I believe that many people subscribe to irrational and magical thought out of their fear of death. Epicurus and Lucretius both made arguments that it is irrational to fear death. To this date it has been extremely difficult for philosophers to find a flaw in Epicurus' and Lucretius' arguments
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleterealmond...well said. You'll get no arguments from me. And I Never argue with Russell.
ReplyDeleteFear of death is an important componenet to theism. Among the Abrahamic religions Christianity takes it a step further, actually embuing revered dead people(or their body parts/ "relics") with magical powers).
I've written on the "death cult" of Christianity, and most especially Catholicism. It's a powerful recruitment tool.
Hump wrote:
ReplyDelete"Fear of death is an important componenet to theism. Among the Abrahamic religions Christianity takes it a step further, actually embuing revered dead people(or their body parts/ "relics") with magical powers).
I've written on the "death cult" of Christianity, and most especially Catholicism. It's a powerful recruitment tool."
Hump this is an excellent point. I'd like to recommend a work by Robert Louis Wilken that I'm sure you are familiar with titled "The Christians as the Romans Saw Them". It is a fairly short book and highly accessible. Wilken explores how the Romans saw Christians based upon the writings of Galen,Pliny the Younger,Porphyry of Tyre, and the Roman Emperor Julian. To my surprise, Wilken omits significant commentary on the positions that the satirist Lucian of Samosota, and the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius had on Christians.In chapter 2 Wilken explores the very issue that you raise that Christianity arose as a "death cult".
Wilken's chapter 2 is titled "Christianity as a burial society. I have included the subsections from the table of contents below.
Chap. 2 Christianity as a burial
society
1)Church or political club?
2)A sense of belonging
3)A Bacchic society
4)An obscure and secret
association.
Heard of the book, never read it. I know something of their perspective, ie. they refer to Xtians as being a "cult," and the Christians as coming from the dregs of society. I'll buy it.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
If you really want to get down to brass tacks, man's whacker was made to fit in his hand, therefore it was intended for man to spank his monkey. You've shed some light on things I've been wondering about. Sarahcuda and her followers, for example. They all have brains of cotton and collectively not enough to make a kotex for a piss ant. Yet she steps up to the podium, natters out something about gawd and guns, and the crowd goes apeshit. The frightening thing is that they vote and they breed en masse. Then they home school and the next generation is only exposed to the parents' version of skydaddy. Scary. Very scary.
ReplyDeleteMomma...LOL @ "kotex for a piss ant!"
ReplyDeletePriceless!
Momma Moonbat wrote:
ReplyDelete" The frightening thing is that they vote and they breed en masse. Then they home school and the next generation is only exposed to the parents' version of skydaddy. Scary. Very scary."
This is indeed very scary. This poisoning of the minds of children by indoctrinating them with religion before they have developed the full capacity for full rational thought and critical thinking is in my view what Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have termed a form of child abuse.
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ReplyDeleteGuys..I see the religiously insane have rediscovered my blog.
ReplyDeleteIt tends to go up with my popularity ;)
My apologies.
No reason to apologize. We can enjoy the inane, cowardly comments from an anonymous, non-thinking faith head and laugh.
ReplyDeleteHeheh..thanks Bob.
ReplyDeleteUgh. The "Christian Right" and Sarah Palin drive me nuts. Don't count this Christian into that lot.
ReplyDeleteSure, I am committed to Christ but I also believe that God has given us brains to think, question, trust in what science has taught us, use doctors and medications, and have doubts that make me think more.
I also think that's healthy. I don't believe that science and God are in opposition but are insinct with each other. I realize that you guys don't see it that way but as Bart can assure you, I've never sent him a tract and never will. He probably knows that I pray for him (and you guys) but I don't have to do it in front of you, tell you, or any of that. You know where I stand as you know where I stand so I generally keep it to myself.
I think that's normal -- to question, wonder, research, etc.
Joyce..thoughtful comment, as usual.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, Joyce knows that I sacrfice chickens to Baal and the occasional small child to the god Moloch on behalf of her and her husband Jeff ;)
DH, I hope you continue to ponder, frustrating though it may be.
ReplyDeleteMomma Moonbat really cracks me up! And Joyce, thanks for having the fortitude to converse with the heathens. It's good to know Palin isn't universally accepted by the religious!
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ReplyDelete